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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · stand · trunk · face · fork · mug · leaves · march

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — to confront
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — for sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. march — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mug — a face
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com